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Glanceable, immediate value. System experiences bring your app's most important content to surfaces the user sees without launching your app. Design for seconds of attention.
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Respect platform context. A Lock Screen widget has different constraints than a Home Screen widget. A complication is far smaller than a top shelf item.
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Widgets: show relevant information, not everything. Display the most useful subset, updated appropriately.
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Support multiple widget sizes with distinct layouts. Each size should be a thoughtful design, not a scaled version of another.
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Deep-link on tap. Take users to the relevant content, not the app's root screen.
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Live Activities: track events with a clear start and end. Deliveries, scores, timers, rides. Design for both Dynamic Island and Lock Screen.
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Stay updated and timely. Stale data undermines trust. End promptly when the event concludes.
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Respect user attention with notifications. Only send notifications for information users genuinely care about. No promotional or low-value notifications.
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Notifications: actionable and self-contained. Include enough context to understand and act without opening the app. Support notification actions. Use threading and grouping.
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Complications: focused data on the watch face. Design for the smallest useful representation. Support multiple families. Budget updates wisely.
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Home Screen quick actions: 3-4 most common tasks. Short titles, optional subtitles, relevant SF Symbol icons.
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Top Shelf: tvOS showcase. Feature content that entices: new episodes, featured items, recent content.
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App Clips: instant, focused functionality within a strict size budget. Load quickly without App Store download. Only what's needed for the immediate task, then offer full app install.
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App Shortcuts: surface key actions to Siri and Spotlight. Define shortcuts for frequent tasks. Use natural, conversational trigger phrases.
